


Doctor's Orders

by DixieDale



Category: Clan O'Donnell - Fandom, Garrison's Gorillas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-21 19:01:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14921105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DixieDale/pseuds/DixieDale
Summary: It was a bitter pill to swallow, being laid up in bed flat on his back with injuries from that last mission.  But somehow a phrase kept running through his head, "a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down," and he had to admit, he had the whole sugar bowl right at his fingertips!  Now, if he could just get one of the guys to hide that ruddy needle!





	Doctor's Orders

They hadn't expected to leave Goniff down there. Still, when they got back from that last mission, their buddy was in a bad way, hardly able to walk even with someone helping him on each side, and Doc Riley had determined he had to be where someone could be with him at all times, where he'd get proper meals and his medicines, and where he could sleep in a real bed instead of on his usual low-slung cot in the dorm.

Major Kingston had accompanied them back over Craig Garrison's protests, since Garrison had been kept in London for a briefing. The Lieutenant didn't trust the Major any more than the Major trusted the guys, but they didn't give him any choice. The Major was not one of their avid supporters at the best of times, and now, being dragged away from his desk to do escort service, well that had really got him in a royal snit.

Of course, in reality, he'd been forced to do no such thing; he had been interferring, as he had a tendency to do, thinking he knew much more how to run things in Special Forces than the Handlers assigned to that duty. He'd been tempted to have them all thrown in the stockade, just on general principals, til Garrison was free to retrieve them, but he'd already butted heads with the Lieutenant recently, and thought it best to postpone the next episode awhile; he knew there would be one, considering everything, but unfortunately they did still have to work together.

Of course, the Major could have assigned someone else to escort the team down to Brandonshire and the Mansion, or could have just kept his nose out of things, but he didn't trust them, never had, never would, and thought Garrison was a naive idiot for giving them as much leaway as he did. He figured it was time someone gave these misfits a taste of what having a proper military officer in charge of them felt like. So, he had them all tossed into a couple of jeeps, with him in one and his aide in the other, the two-vehicle convoy complete with armed military drivers. 

Garrison had intended them to stop at the small private hospital to get checked out, particularly Goniff, thinking they'd probably have to be leaving him there in Patrick or James' care, but in Garrison's absence, Actor didn't think letting Kingston know about the doctors at that little hospital or their connection with the team was that good of an idea. In a low whispered exchange Goniff had sworn he could make it back, so they'd just tried to keep him as braced as they could in the jeep, though Casino swore that damn driver hit every rut in the road on purpose just to make the Englishman groan, seeing as how each groan was followed by a malicious chuckle from behind the wheel; he figured it was only because the Major was in the front seat of that same jeep kept the s.o.b from running the damned thing up and out of the ditch to each side of the road. Casino made a point of whispering, "hey, if you're gonna puke, aim in that bastard's direction, okay," getting a rather miserable excuse for a chuckle in return. 

They did stop at Doctor Riley's clinic, at Actor's suggestion, though not without some misgivings from Major Kingston. He certainly had no intention of coddling these guys. Still, the Major was more than a little convinced the little pickpocket was faking it, and this seemed to be his chance of proving it without Garrison's interference; if that turned out to be the case, the malingering little bastard was going straight back to the Base, headed right for the stockade. He hadn't even let the other guys help the groaning man out of the jeep and inside; he'd had just Casino and his driver do it, and Casino had to crab at the driver to "take it easy, chum! Stop jerking him around!" His protests didn't do a hell of a lot, other than get a quick set-down from Kingston.

Well, all that show of force got the Major, besides added groans from the increasingly bent-over Englishman, was a hard and grim look from the doctor and a few curt words from the doctor's assistant, his wife Sheila, about their treatment of an obviously injured man. Those two helped Goniff carefully into the small examining room, and ordered everyone else out. Kingston was having no part of that and insisted on being present.

Doc Riley gave him a highly exasperated look, and told him impatiently, "suit yourself, Major, but I warn you. I've treated him on more than one occasion, and he tends to react poorly at times. Spews all over everything more often than not! But, it's your uniform; do as you like! Just don't whine to me OR him if that happens!" Kingston got a heavy frown on his face, like he was being made sport of, but took another look at the pale man now seated hunched over on a low padded table, moaning and swallowing convulsively. {"He IS looking more than a little green."}. Deciding he'd be best to use caution, he nodded and moved to stand further back.

With tight lips he informed the doctor, "in my opinion he's faking it, or at least exaggerating the severity. I expect you will be able to confirm that, then we'll see the rest of them are put under strict guard at the Mansion til Garrison gets back, and HE can spend some time in the stockade to teach him not to play such tricks."

"Yes, yes, now let me check him over," came from A J Riley, impatiently; "and at least pull that door a little more closed. He has as much right to some privacy as anyone else, and I'd think you could handle him if he gets out of line," with a contemptuous grunt. 

"That's ludicrous; you expect me to leave him here? He'd be out and halfway across England by the time I got back to London!"

"My dear Major, look at him, his back is severely sprained," Doctor Riley sighed, "he couldn't get halfway across the floor without help. He's already black and blue from the bruising; there's considerable swelling, internally as well as externally, putting pressure on the spine and internal organs. It's temporary, I'd think, but he needs the proper care and the proper surroundings to heal. That means someone available to provide at least minimal care for him around the clock to begin with, regular and strictly planned and monitored meals, and certainly not spending his time on one of those cots in that dorm room of theirs. Just trying to get up and down would do more harm, if it were even possible for him to get up and down, which I strongly doubt, and the medicine I'm going to be giving him is going to entail quite frequent trips to the facilities. And then there are those stairs even getting TO the dorm."

Kingston argued for awhile, started with some of the usual threats and snotty remarks, all of which the good doctor listened to with some show of patience, til he finally put his foot down.

"Major, he'll be quite secure staying at a local residence; I have an incipent encouchment, a difficult one in my estimation, and I will require my room for her, but I have just the place for him."

Kingston now started to protest again, and Riley broke in, "the owner of the property has helped me care for patients before, including these men, and she is quite qualified. I know she's in town; I saw her earlier today. The facilities are certainly not lavish but adequate, and you will have him back in operation much faster this way."

A muttered comment by Kingston about where he'd really rather have Goniff, AND the others, 'back in' got only a weary sigh. The final protest, about leaving any of these men with a civilian, apparently a female civilian at that, got an impatient, "Major, I assure you she is most capable of keeping him and any of the others in line. You could ask Major Kevin Richards if you like; I believe she deals with him on a regular basis. She may help me on the rare occasion, but that is hardly her only training or her primary occupation. I believe you probably know her, or at least of her, for her work with Special Forces, though I haven't any details of that, of course. You can ask her when you get there if you feel it necessary. Now, here are the directions to her cottage; it's only a few minutes, of course, not like anything's very far in Brandonshire. And I'll give her a call with the specific instructions for his care. If it gives you any comfort, I imagine he'll enjoy this little stay about as much as she will; she'd not known for her gentle forebearance, I can tell you that, though she is quite competent, of course, and she will see that he follows orders to the letter no matter what protests he might make. Wait a moment and I'll put what she'll need in a bag."

While Kingston went to talk to his men, Riley gave a quick set of verbal instructions to Goniff, telling him he'd see him at the Cottage as soon as possible, hopefully later that night. As soon as he heard the jeeps pull away, Riley grabbed the phone and made a hasty call. {"This has to be handled just right or that Major's going to end up taking that man to the Mansion or throwing him into the stockade in spite of everything I told him! And I don't even want to think about where that will lead, not with her temper. And he truly does need proper care right now."}

So, rather against his better judgement, Major Kingston had his driver stop at the small secluded cottage; he wasn't going to go along with this if he wasn't satisfied after meeting with this mysterious woman who was supposedly 'special forces'; he wouldn't put it past any of them to be trying to pull a fast one, although that mention of Major Richards had given him pause. He told them all to wait in the vehicles while he made his way to the front door, and knocked crisply.

There was a long pause, and an irritated female voice answered, "go around to the back, damn it!"

He started to call out, demanding she open the door, but the driver had stepped around to tell him, jerking his head back toward the jeep; "they say she never answers this door; they aren't even sure it can BE opened; might be nailed shut."

Grumbling, Kingston made his way to the side gate and to the kitchen door, which opened at his approach. His jaw dropped as he looked at the visibly annoyed woman in the doorway in trousers and heavy shirt, hair pulled to the side in a half-undone braid, towel draped over one shoulder. "Miss O'Donnell?!" {"The Dragon? The Ice Queen? He was supposed to leave that annoying malingering little mischief maker with the ICE QUEEN?? And an Ice Queen in a particularly snarly mood at that?"}. He barely refrained from laughing at the sheer richness of it all.

"Well, just who in the hell were you expecting, Major Kingston, the Easter Bunny? Doc Riley says you have one of Garrison's men he wants to have stay here for a few days. Bring him in; I'm in the middle of something, and I'd like to get back to it, you know?"

She moved back, grumbling not quite under her breath, "supposed to get those translations done, 'ever so late they are'," her voice giving a nasty impression of whoever had obviously been complaining about that lateness, a shrill-voiced female by the sound of it, one he actually he thought he might recognize, "never mind I've been up to my arse in alligators and bullets over the Channel for the past week; still have to get my pack undone from the last job, decide whether to just burn my clothes or try and clean them one more time, and then get everything ready for the next trip out; trying to get caught up on everything around here, and now I'm supposed to be a freaking babysitter and wet nurse! Sheesh! Haven't even had a chance to wash my hair properly! You'd think a body could get a little time to herself without being . . ." and her voice trailed off as she headed back inside. She was rather pleased with that little tirade, {"I think I just might be channeling Casino!"}. She was very careful not to let that amusing thought leak out to mellow the expression on her scowling face. 

Kingston got a malicious gleam in his eye; the little pickpocket might be sleeping in a regular bed, but the Major rather doubted he'd be enjoying his stay here. The O'Donnell woman had quite a reputation, surly as all get out sometimes, and brooking absolutely no personal nonsense. He rather doubted she'd be very interested in the domestic or nurturing side of things either. He gave a snort of amusement, which he was quick to hide as the redhead shot him a jaundiced look.

"Well??! Are you going to get him in here or not? Or am I supposed to haul him in here myself??!"

"Oh, no, we'll bring him in. Where . . ." and she just motioned irritably toward an open door.

"In there. Well, there's not a hell of a lot of options, you know! It's a cottage, not bloody Buckingham Palace! Doc Riley would have kept him at the clinic, probably, except for that difficult delivery he's expecting. The little mother will be using his one room, so that means I'm left to deal as best I can here. Feed him, I'm told; hope he likes tinned soup and veg cause that's what he's getting, more than like. Better not expect me to be slaving over a stove doing anything else! If I don't cook for myself, I'll be damned if I cook for him! And I better not hear any nonsense from him either; he'll take the damn medicine and stay put and follow the doctor's orders AND mine, and stay out of my hair!"

Her tone was still a cross between a grumble and what Kingston was gleefully categorizing as 'full out bitching'. {"Yeah, he's not going to enjoy his stay here one little bit!"}

Her face was still stuck in its annoyed mask when Goniff was hauled in accompanied by her harsh words, "and be careful with him, damn it! Get him any more roughed up and he'll likely be here a month!", and the driver was a little more careful with him, and he helped Casino set their cargo down, though still somewhat roughly, fully clothed, on the big bed where she had the covers pulled back, though she yelled at them when they initially failed to remove his boots and the force of her annoyance was enough for them to do that, her snarling about them thinking it was just fine to ruin her good coverlet with those dirty boots and all, and the sheer impudence and annoying ways of men in general, giving them a hard glare that encompassed all of them.

The tirade made an impression on all of them, particularly Casino, who Kingston could tell was now more than a little apprehensive about leaving his teammate here. Kingston really enjoyed that look on his face, and couldn't wait til the con had the opportunity to tell the others; well, to be honest, Casino was looking forward to that himself, in fact he could hardly wait either. By then, they were all ready to escape, and that's pretty much what it felt like, they'd all agree on that later in the vehicles, after they'd dumped the other members of the team off at the Mansion, into the custody of Sergeant Major Rawlings, though the Major and his Aide had a good laugh then about leaving that little thief in her custody, about how he'd be wishing they HAD dumped him in the stockade before long. 

She waited at the gate til she couldn't hear them anymore, then locked the gate behind her. She hurried back inside, locking the kitchen door as well, engaged the alarm system, pulled all the curtains tight, and went into the bedroom.

"Ai, laddie, now what's to do?" her voice in a gentle croon as she worked to ease him into a more comfortable position with heaped pillows behind him, and pulled the covers and another quilt up around him while she took stock of the situation.

He was pale and shaky, obviously in pain, but he looked up at her with a faint grin of appreciation, "you and the doc, both outta go on the stage, you know. Ruddy convincing, the pair of you. Figure Kingston wouldn't be surprised to find you'd tossed me out into the garden shed thinking I was too much trouble in 'ere."

She leaned in and touched her lips to his head, him here and safe, if more than a little mangled, when he could have so easily not come home at all, "that bloody idiot! It was him I was wanting to toss out in the garden, into the compost heap to be specific! It's needing a good load of manure to get it heating up. Now, let's get you settled, get those clothes off so you can get some rest. I've a couple of warm shirts one of the brothers left behind, should do well enough for while you're in bed. No, don't you move about too much, let me do the work," as she started to undo his clothes.

He warned her, "reckon I smell to 'igh 'eaven; it's been a long trip, still wearing the clothes I left in, and they didn't let us get cleaned up at HQ."

She gave him a considering look, "well, then, I think a warm sudsy sponge bath just might be in order, with maybe a bit of a rubdown, careful like, not to hurt you, with that comfrey creme I make for my own skin. Terribly soothing, it is, especially when I warm it a bit. That is, after I get the soup to heating and get the room a bit warmer, yes? Then a bite to eat, and let you get some rest."

He gave a faint laugh, "some'ow, I doubt that's anywhere near what the Major was thinking was gonna 'appen. With that nasty smile on 'is ugly face, bet 'e thinks you'd just throw the covers over me, close the door, and let that be enough, cept for sorting things out when Doc Riley was due to come by."

She pulled the last of his grimy clothes away, hurrying to get him carefully into the flannel shirt she'd pulled from a drawer to keep the chill away, tucking the covers in place once again. "Yes, well, we'll just let the Major continue along those lines of thinking; it seems to bring him comfort and does us no harm. I'll go see to that soup and the water and all; would you fancy a nice cup of tea? I just got back yesterday and haven't baked, but I'll have something for you when you wake up from that nap you'll be taking after you eat and we get you freshened up."

He sighed and lay his head back against the heaped pillows and listened to the pleasant sounds of her moving things around in the kitchen. If he had to be all bunged up, in his mind he couldn't be in a better place than here with his 'Gaida. He couldn't quite determine which sounded better, the soup, the warm sponge bath with the rubdown to follow, the cup of tea or a nap, and he smiled with contentment at the thought that he wouldn't have to choose; he'd be getting them all, and right quickly too. 'Gaida might even be willing to curl up along side him; now that would be even more than nice. He'd be willing to forego her baking even, if she'd do that. Course, he wouldn't mind if she managed both. One thing about his 'Gaida, she was a managing one, in all kinda ways.

The guys left the Mansion early, even before breakfast and headed down to the Cottage. Well, they had a couple of motives; they wanted to check on Goniff, sure, but when all was said and done, if they showed up at the Cottage this time of day, odds are there was a hot breakfast in it for them, and NOT Army rations! A quick glance in the kitchen earlier had told them that was on THEIR menu at the Mansion.

The Warden had left earlier, before first light, to check on their teammate, per the Sergeant Major. None of them were all that surprised by that. Casino pretty much figured that's what they'd find when they came downstairs. Garrison had arrived about midnight, and had to have read the note telling him what had happened; they were more than a little surprised he hadn't woken them with his cursing.

{"Yeah, the Warden would have a good case of the guilts going about the little Limey. First, him getting all bunged up cause the Warden's gun misfired, letting that kraut get to the rope in time to slash it while Goniff was still that far up in the air, hell, still a good six stories up. Good thing he managed to swing inward so he hit the side of the building and could twist around and grab on to that window sill halfway down and drop down, piece by piece to that last window, then scurry down the side of the building instead of falling all that way, but still. . . Shit, that had to have hurt like hell; he really slammed his back into those bricks; surprised he didn't break something fore he made it all the way down! Any one a us, woulda broke our necks trying any a that, but the little Limey, he's part squirrel, part monkey the way he climbs and stuff! Still, in a hell of a way by the time he got all the way down. Then, getting back here, and HQ grabbin the Warden for a briefing, leaving the rest of us stuck in a little room, no coffee, no food, nothing. Ended up not being able to get Goniff to that little hospital we usually use, the ones where Meghada's brothers work, cause Major Hard-Ass Kingston was the one in charge! Didn't even let us clean up in London, still got here in the clothes we'd left in a week ago, and wasn't that fun. Hope Kingston and his drivers and his prissy Aide enjoyed the stink. Kinda a shame Goniff DIDN'T puke all over them; kinda thought he was headed in that direction!"}

They came through the garden gate and the kitchen door, using the hidden keys Meghada had made sure they all knew the location of. They'd laughed this morning, just as they had last night, at the brilliant con the doctor and Meghada had pulled on Kingston, knowing just how furious the major would be if he ever found out that Goniff was no stranger to Meghada's cottage, nor to her bed for that matter, if he ever discovered that leaving him there was hardly a hardship, if he ever found out the pickpocket's care would be far different than what the Major was imagining.

The bedroom door was closed when they came in through the kitchen door and they could hear Goniff's voice. He was arguing most intently, they could tell that. Actor and Casino settled into chairs to wait til Meghada came back out, looking at each other in amusement, while Chief poured each of them a cup of coffee from the pot on the stove, and each grabbed a scone from the linen covered basket on the table. They sat back to enjoy the bit of entertainment; well, as often as not, the interactions between those two proved to be highly entertaining, to say the least. While they could hear Goniff's words, obviously Meghada was being much more calm and quiet; they couldn't hear her side of the conversation.

"NO, I said! Now look, you know what Doc Riley told us. I can't, not til my back gets better; would cause all sorta problems if I don't wait. You're just not being reasonable." Silence.

"Look, can't you just think about something else? Maybe breakfast? Maybe even lunch? That would be a fine thing to think about. Not posh and becks!" The guys exchanged looks and silent laughs at the rude Cockney slang for sex.

"Oh, ruddy 'ell! Aint like you've not gone dry for a spell before. Yeah, well, alright, not so much recently but it aint been all THAT long! And sides, we were only gone for a week this time, and spent the night 'ere before we left!" A low growl, indicating their teammate was getting grumpy.

"NO! Just forget about it! We aint doing that. Well, yeah, that'd do the trick alright, but we aint doing THAT neither. NO, that neither; ruddy sure THAT would do me up for good! Don't want to be stuck in bed for a solid month, and 'e said that's what could 'appen if I don't mind what 'e says." 

His voice was getting louder, more annoyed, slightly bitter now, and even Casino was moving from amused to puzzled. Meghada was openly affectionate with Goniff, and it seemed pretty apparent they were both enthusiastic about the physical part of their relationship, but for her to be so aggressive now, when he was hurt, well, that was unexpected; maybe they'd not had as clear an understanding of that relationship as they'd thought.

Goniff's voice interrupted their reverie, obviously frustrated and feeling put-upon, "oh, I know, YOU'RE just fine with that; don't make YOU no nevermind. You want what YOU want, whenever YOU want it, nevermind what's best for ME. Ruddy 'ell, ruddy slavedriver you are; need to get you a whip and you'd be all set!"

His grumbling, annoyed words were starting to trouble his teammates, and they were wondering if they SHOULD make their presence known. Actor thought to himself, {"perhaps I can get her aside, convince her he really DOES need to use caution right now. I would have thought the instructions from the doctor would have been enough to convince her, though."}. He found himself becoming rather disappointed in the young woman.

The kitchen door opened and Meghada walked in, pink-cheeked from the cold air outside, carry-all of groceries in her hand. She smiled welcomingly at them and popped out a cheery, "good morning, guys!" and wondered at the shocked expression on their faces, the way their eyes snapped from her, back to that closed bedroom door, then back to each other. The same thought was going through each of their minds, {"if Meghada's here, then who the hell is he arguing with??"}.

Actor's expression was decidedly odd; if he'd wondered at the idea of the young woman pressing Goniff so hard, he had even more reluctance to think of their commanding officer doing so. He'd rather thought Craig to be still rather hesitant in this new, very unexpected relationship, feeling his way very cautiously, certainly not inclined to be this demanding.

At that thought, Craig Garrison showed himself behind Meghada. "I got the milk and eggs from Mrs Henderson, she was fine with giving us the extra; were you able to get everything else?" he started to ask when he saw the team sitting there. He also saw the very unusual looks he was getting, and raised a questioning brow. 

"If you're both out here, just who IS with Goniff," Actor asked, now greatly perturbed.

Meghada and Craig looked at each, "no one that I am aware of. He was alone when we left, and we were gone no more than twenty minutes at the most, and we locked the door and gate behind us."

The three teammates were trying to decide who would explain, and Actor stepped up to the plate, "from what we heard, it seems someone is, uh, pressuring him to disobey the doctor's orders about certain activities??"

Meghada looked at them oddly, and then they heard a tiny gulp as she swallowed down perhaps just a bit of amusement. "Was he still going on?? You know, I've never heard anyone have such an intense conversation with, well, himself, as he was earlier. Thought we'd go get the food and give him time to get himself convinced. Himself was being rather insistent, you know, and not inclined to be listening to reason."

Garrison snorted, "himself doesn't have ears, and it would appear, doesn't have a brain or any common sense either!"

Meghada only grinned broader, "and isn't that true of all of YOU as well? Let me check on him, and maybe you can then all try to distract him while I get some breakfast together."

She stuck her head in the door to tell the disgruntled man sitting up in the bed dressed in her brother's flannel shirt that they were back and that he had visitors. The team trooped in, Garrison along with them, to find Goniff sitting up in bed, scowling at the sizeable tent in his covers.

Actor grinned at Garrison, while Casino snickered, and even Chief had to smile at the realization that that intense conversation had been between Goniff and the cause of that tent. The many ribald comments from Casino didn't help, and the totally insincere offer to 'give you a hand there??' from the safecracker didn't make the situation any better; in fact, from the enthusiastic twitching of the covers, it probably had made it worse.

Goniff flushed, and snarled, "and don't let that give you any ideas, mate; just seems to do that no matter what! 'Gaida asked if I wanted another cup of tea and I thought the ruddy thing was gonna go mad! Woulda thought she was offering the 'ole ten chapters from that Kama S. . ."

His voice trailed off, seeing Actor's eyes wide with shocked disbelief at recognition of what it seemed Goniff had been about to say. "Well, anyways, Casino, don't need no 'elp, thanks anyway!" the Englishman pouted, his eyes steadfast avoiding the tall Italian's.

Actor squinted over at Garrison, only to find him already out of the room. Chief and Casino were clueless, but Actor thought he heard just a faint rumble of suppressed laughter from outside the door. Actor promised himself he was going to take a good look through Meghada's library one of these days. Perhaps his impression that it had been mostly herbals and gardening and cookery books had been a mistaken one.

Meghada entered the bedroom with a full tray, Garrison right behind her, desperately trying to maintain a straight face.

"Here we go, laddie, Doc Riley says this should do the trick."

Goniff looked at the tray with suspicion, "ice? What do you think you're gonna do with ice? Sure as 'ell aint gonna put it there!" His voice had a definite snarl to it, and that was an amazingly cold glare she was getting from those pale blue eyes. He got a stubbornly defiant look on his face, shut his eyes and tucked his head down as if he was just going to take a good nap.

She smiled reassuringly at him, knowing he was watching from below those lowered lashes, and turned to set the tray on the table at the side of the bed. "Not now, certainly. It's for after."

He now squinted up at her with one eye, the other remaining closed.

"After w'at?"

And they all cringed when she flipped back a linen towel and picked up a hypodermic needle and carefully pierced the top on a small vial of medicine, drawing the syringe full of the pink tinted liquid.

"Oh, no," came a firm declaration, that wide mouth drawn into stubborn lines, "you aint sticking me in the arse with that. 'Ad enough of that with the doc yesterday!" He cast an indignant appeal over to his team mates and commanding officer. "Two shots 'e gave me, would you believe??! I'm not only stuck with laying on my arse, 'e's trying to turn it into a bloody pincushion!"

She just smiled, comfortingly, "oh, no love, not there, I promise. Just pull the sheet aside for a moment or two," and his eyes bulged, "then just WHERE . . ."

"Just a few pinpricks, that's all. All in a row, from well below all the way up, AJ says. Six or seven, maybe. On the underside, you know. Should do the trick nicely in making Himself rethink matters," watching his horrified expression from under her lowered lids. She could help but see that the expression on his teammates was almost as appalled. {"I think their jaws all dropped in unison; must be because they're so used to working as a team!"}

She moved to sit on the side of the bed, starting to reach for the sheet which he now had in a tight grip with both hands holding it to his chest, him looking from her face to the needle and back again.

"NO! Meghada, I'm telling you . . ." and she gave a quick glance at the rapidly deflating tent and told him with a relieved smile, "well, looks like it's not going to be necessary after all."

She gave him a comforting pat, but on his shoulder, being careful not to inadvertently cause any further encouragement to himself after all this! "Seems himself decided to listen to you after all! Not so stubborn after all, just not thinking so clearly, it being early perhaps. Might have been better off starting with coffee rather than tea, do you think?"

She stood up, gathered things back on the tray, and walked out of the room briskly, closing the door behind her with a cheery, "I'll just see about getting that breakfast together." Five sets of eyes just stared after her.

Once she was safely in the kitchen, hearing that gabble of indignant male voices behind her, she gave an almost inaudible chuckle, {"well, that did the trick alright! Glad when this stage is past us; there are more pleasurable ways to deal with 'himself' in the morning certainly!"}, sliding the hypo and the vial of pink water into a case and into the bottom of the fridge. Hopefully it wouldn't be needed again, but it was there if it was needed to provide the proper encouragement for himself to listen to reason. She had more than enough confidence in Goniff and his reactions than to think she'd ever be forced, or allowed, to put that 'row of little pinpricks' to the test. Just the thought was more than enough to do the trick, just as the doctor had been sure it would be when, with a sly laugh, he'd suggested that route. AJ said a few days rest and she could proceed to other methods. She already had one or two things in mind, already cleared with Doc Riley, things that wouldn't put a strain on Goniff's back, but might please himself, demanding personality that he was, bless him.

In London, Major Kingston was in Major Kevin Richards' office, going over recent activities, discussing which team should be getting which upcoming assignments, checking over the injury reports. Kingston wasn't really involved in Special Forces, but for some reason General Armstrong was using him as liaison, and Kingston was using that as an excuse to get involved in things that really were none of his nevermind.

Somehow, over a shot of whiskey from that bottle Richards pulled from his bottom desk drawer, Major Kingston found himself bragging about how he'd taken charge when Garrison and his team had come back in last time. Richards wasn't any great fan of Major Kingston, but he tolerated him as best he could and tried not to let personalities get in the way of doing the job. Now he listened with an encouraging face, an occasional nod to the saga, not even letting his mouth twitch, at least not at the wrong times, as the story continued.

"And the doctor had it right. He said that little thief wouldn't enjoy the experience any more than his hostess would. Well, you'll never believe who THAT was! The Ice Queen, can you imagine??! The O'Donnell woman! I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't come out of the whole thing with a few extra lumps and bruises! She really rang a peal over me for bringing him there, I know, interrupting her in the middle of washing her hair, us expecting her to take her precious down time to babysit one of Garrison's team. Made it clear he'd be getting what the doctor required but not a damned bit more, so he'd better be content with a bed, tinned soup and veg and keeping quiet and out of her way!"

Kingston laughed loud and hard, and Kevin Richards laughed right along with him. In fact, Kevin Richards laughed frequently, at odd times all that day and into the evening, to the puzzlement of those around him, especially after he made a confirming call to Doctor AJ Riley in Brandonshire. No, he might never figure out the attraction, and he may never understand or approve of the relationship, but he had to admit it had been a wonderful con. He'd been told by Actor that the most successful con was where everyone was happy with the results, and he though this qualified. Kingston was happy thinking both Meghada and Goniff were miserable and at each other's throats, he imagined Meghada was blissfully happy pampering her 'laddie', and if Goniff wasn't happy, he was a total idiot, having Meghada cooking and tending and fussing over him.

He just hoped Kingston didn't find out the truth of the matter, at least as long as he was in a position to take revenge for being so outfoxed. Oh, he'd read Garrison's report, and had shuddered when he'd heard about that fall; Goniff was lucky to have survived it; most men wouldn't have. Riley had confirmed the injuries, certainly, and the need for care and rest was quite legitimate; he just knew Kingston was visualizing the doctor's instructions and the resultant care to be something a little different. 

He thought again about the instructions Riley had told him he'd issued for Goniff's care, "anti-inflamatories, of course, something for the pain, a mild diuretic for his bruised kidneys and close proximity to the loo, ice packs as needed, lots of rest in a decently supportive bed, some gentle massaging with some of that comfrey creme she makes up special to keep the circulation strong and the muscles relaxed, warm surroundings, good nourishing food and plenty of it, as much sleep as he can manage, periodic distraction from the forced inactivity, a nightly tonic - nothing to excess, of course, just one or two doses of medicinal whiskey. In general, mostly just good old fashioned TLC, Major, pretty much as you'd expect for a back strain and bruising of that severity. Oh, and I think there was a warm sudsy sponge bath or two in the plan as well," Riley had chuckled, while Richards snorted.

"Any chance of getting a similar prescription next time I get bunged up? I'd even be willing to go out of my way to incur moderate damages for a prescription like that" he'd stated in amusement, though well mixed with cold hard truth, thinking about his last cold and unpleasant stay in the military hospital.

"At the Cottage, probably not, but if you have someone, someplace else in mind, let me know, Major and I'll see what I can do." They shared a long comfortable laugh and hung up.

Richards thought he might give Meghada a call, just be sure she was locking that outside gate and door for the duration; he quailed to think of the reaction if Major Kingston walked in on any of that 'TLC'! He tried to suppress the wave of sheer envy that swept through him, not so much on Meghada's behalf, but damn, that TLC really sounded good!


End file.
